Gourcuff Back on Track

It is believed, for creativity to blossom it must be given the freedom to be expressed. If tactical implications restrict this talent from thriving, then it is near impossible to regain it. This conundrum is often experienced within football. For years, many great individuals have suffered from negative tactics being deployed, and therefore suffocating their originality. Yet, there are unique players defying these odds. It is those that are capable of picking themselves up after falling to achieve success that must be appreciated with praise. Once hailed “the finest French player of his generation” and “the natural successor to Zinedine Zidane”, Yoann Gourcuff has faced an uphill journey to gain the recognition his talent deserves.

 

Now 26, the Frenchman is hoping for a successful season. Having been dogged by injuries, which have in turn interfered with his confidence and form, Gourcuff is looking to re-establish himself as a crucial member of France’s national team.

Gourcuff made a name for himself whilst playing for Rennes, with some assured displays from the centre of midfield. Before making his senior debut for the French club, his father was the first team coach. However, failing to appear as a senior player during this spell, it was Laszlo Boloni who handed the gifted young player his first competitive taste of Ligue 1 football.

These displays caught the attention of some of Europe’s top club scouts and it wasn’t long before AC Milan won the race for his signature, costing the Italian club just under €5million. Wearing the number 20 on his back, Gourcuff found it difficult to adapt to life in his new home. Although the Rossoneri won the Champions League in his debut season, the new arrival did not feature in the final against Liverpool, thus concluding a challenging first year in Milan. Failing to rival star player Kaka as the sides’ trequartista, Gourcuff was eventually loaned to Bordeaux for the entire of the 2008/09 campaign.

After a hugely successful spell back in his native homeland, in which Bordeaux won the league and cup double, Gourcuff signed permanently for Les Girondins the following summer for €13.6million. His rampant form showed no signs of fatigue, providing a Man of the Match performance to help his new parent club win the 2009 Trophee des Champions title. Later that year, this growing French prodigy was named French Player of the Year by magazine France Football.

Deciding against staying in Bordeaux, Gourcuff signed for rivals Olympique Lyonnais for a staggering €22million. After a series of poor performances at the beginning of his career in the white of Lyon, the 26 year old expressed his “frustration” and “disappointment” in his form for his new team. After also being hampered by injuries, the attacking midfielder was controversially not selected in Laurent Blanc’s final squad for the European Championship’s this summer in Ukraine and Poland. This omission has provided Gourcuff with added motivation to prove his doubters wrong and recapture the form he had shown previously in Ligue 1.